A baby chimpanzee dressed up as a toddler is revealed, ensconced in packing material and candy. A hand belonging to someone unseen drops into the frame to toss a bag of more sweets into the box, while an eerie, music-box melody plays in the background. The chimp looks disoriented and anxious as he gorges on the candy.

"The irony is that the internet shrinks our world, but the traffickers remain physically out of reach because they operate from safe havens like the Gulf countries and some Asian jurisdictions," Haslett told The Dodo. "So we are mostly limited to watching them show off their deeds on social media. It's a very odd situation none of us could have foreseen 20 years ago."

Haslett has been trying to figure out what happened to the chimp and where he is now. He's been chatting with a man who has been banned twice from Instagram for trying to sell apes. But Haslett's conversations with the man have so far proved evasive and unhelpful.

"There's a definite shyness when it comes to naming the traffickers publicly," Haslett said. "But animal defenders need to close this gap. I don't know if it's fear of reprisals, legal considerations or just that it's a harder mission that doesn't promise quick, happy results."

One thing is clear, Haslett said. These animals need help, and traffickers need to feel the pressure. "If we don't start making them very, very uncomfortable they will go on doing what they're doing," he said.

This is a developing story. The Dodo will continue to follow the case.

Check out a video about an ape who got the help she desperately needed: